29. Sympathy

Some say that life is a journey. But I think of it more as a collection. The stages of life, each marked by change, are the containers for my collection. My early years of living in a great home with loving parents are followed by adolescent years of discovery and beautiful curiosity. My college years mark a transition to independence and the surprise of love. And I remember the awkward change to the “working life” following college. The entrance of marriage, a first home and of the birth of children are collected in a frame of rich maturity.

Through all of these years I have held on to a certain spark of energy that has animated the stages of my life. It is the energy that I think we all can claim as that which drives us and excites us about tomorrow. It is the energy of individual personality.

I now enjoy watching young people mature, seeing them pass through the stages of life, collecting memories, and being held by that personal steering force, or energy, that brings them delight. The smile of youth is most typically one of happiness and eagerness to fully engage in the things of life — a beautiful and pure desire. It’s fascinating to watch them satisfy that desire through laughter, conversation, music or sports.

I never want to lose the feeling of my youth and the desire to engage in all of life. I know that the energy of my personality that brought me great joy in those early years is still alive, waiting and wanting to be used to carry me forward.

Day 29 Guide

Don’t let the “generation gap” be a chasm that swallows your desire. Listen to the sounds of youth and observe how they release energy. I believe that maturity is too often marked by a suppression of the natural forces that make us come alive.